Improvement in clevis-hooks for double-trees



. W. W. BENTLEY.

I Whiffietree.

No. 112,883. Patent'edMar. 21; 1871.

ttniteh $121M WARREN W. BENTL'Y, OF TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN.

Letters Patent No. 112,888, dated March 21, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT. IN CLEVlS-HOOKS, FOR DOUBLE-TREES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making of the name,

I, WARREN W. Bunny, of the township of Lee, in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain Improvements in Olevis-Hooks for Double-Trees, of which the following isfa specification.

My invention relates to the combination, with the double-tree or evener of a wagon or othervehicle, of vibrating draw-bars having hooked ends of a peculiar form, as a means of attachment for the single 01' whiffle'trees in place of the ordinary clevis or ring-staple, a descending side prong being formed at the extremity of the hooked end of each bar to act as a guard in compelling a tortuous or twisting motion of the whiffletree while hooking in the ring, or unhooking the sameby hand, the object being'to render it impossible for the whifiiietrecs to become detached from the evener by any accident short of breakage.

The accompanying drawing, in perspective, represents my improved clevis-hook connecting the single with the double-tree.

' A is a broken section of a double-tree, having a mortise, a, with angular sides, as shown by the dotted lines, through each end, for the inseition of the straight-bar portion 1) of the clevishook.

The bar portion b should nearly 'fill the smallend of the mortise, and project sufficiently beyond the double-tree to receive a vertical key-bolt, the upper end of -which'is seen at e, and which key-bolt passes through a slotor hole in the bar and bears against a washer-plate on the edge of the double-tre'e,'to prevent wearing-into and indenting the wood..

To prevent the key-bolt from dropping 01; being jerked out of place I usually furnish it with 'a spline, s, notchedthe thickhess'of the clevis-bar across the middle, and introduce said spline into a key-way in the bar, when, by revolving the key partially, it will be interlocked with the bar.

It is unimportant, however, how this draw-pin is secured or formed, provided it is snfiiciently'stout for the draft, has a good bearing against the double-tree, and its exterior edge is so constructed relatively with the mortise as to permit theclevis-hook bar I) to rock or vibrate freely against it; and, above all, it should be so secured that it cannot accidentally become dctached, and for this there is ample facility, as the clcvis-bars are designed to be permanent connections of the double-tree.

(lhehitching end of the clcvis-bar is bent hookfashion, as shown at h, and has a prong extension, j,

which I term a guard, that is first laterally bent as at dand extended-away'fi'om the side of the hook a distance equal to the thickness of the ring D of the whifiletree 'B, and is then bent downward, as shown, to any suitable extent.

To hitch the whiflletree by its ring to the clevis-hook, the ring is first passed upward over the prong j, and then twisted round between .the lateral bend andthe' edge of the double-tree, when it drops into its place in the main hook. l

It will be readily seen that in thus manipulating the ring the whifiletree must be turned or swung upside-down, and that although this is quite easy to do by hand, as well-as the reverse motion for unhitching the whiflletrees, yet, when the horses are attached,

the tugs effectually prevent any reverse swinging, and

' thus prevent any accidental unhitching of the whiflie trees under any possible contingency.

The usual mode of detachably securing the .whifiie tree, by, means of a bent clevis through the ring, and secured by'a drop-bolt passed through the wood of the double-tree, is confessedly unsafe and inconven ient; for the'hole in the wood gets enlarged by wear,

and serious accidents frequently occur by the jerking out of the bolt. 1

Should a not or split key be used to keep the bolt 'in place, they generally get rusted in and require suit-v able tools toremove them, which tools are seldom at hand.

y In addition, the bent clevis is liable to get mislaid or otherwise lost, and its use is attended by other disadvantages and inconveniences, which are so well known as to need no recapitulation.

My hook and gnard-clevis, while it costs no more than the common one, renders the whiifietree connection perfectly safe, and of easy attachment and detachment' by the hand at all times and under all circumstances.

I claim as my invention The vibrating clevis-bar I), having a triple bend,

consisting of the hook h and guard-prong arranged and combined with the double-tree A for the detachable connection of the whiifletree' B, substantially in the manner and for the purpose-set forth.

WARREN W. BENTLY.

Witnesses: I

O. 1. 000K, Orrro L. JOHNSON. 

